Support for a table knife



April 23, 1957 P. A. LE 2,789,349

SUPPORT FOR A TABLE KNIFE Filed April 14. 1955 v IN EN TOR. aid lee IVI' TORNEYS.,

United States Patent SUPPORT F OR A TABLE KNIFE Paul A. Lee, Warwick, R. I.

Application April 14, 1955, Serial No. 591,394

1 Claim. (Cl. 30-296) This invention relates to a support for a table knife.

It is desirable in certain instances, as when a table knife is used for spreading butter, cheese, jam, and the like on bread or crackers, to provide some means for supporting the knife in a manner to elevate the blade above the surface on which the knife is positioned during the periods between use thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a table knife rest or support for holding the knife blade elevated from the surface on which the knife is positioned.

A further object is to provide a table knife support so constructed as to provide for readily attaching and detaching the same on to the knife handle.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a table knife having a support mounted thereon embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a similar view but showing the knife supported in a different position from that shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 3--3 of Figure 1 on a larger scale and showing the support in full lines;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the support; and

Figure 5 is a similar view but showing the opposite side of the support.

The knife support or rest according to the present invention is made of resilient sheet material and may take any of various polygonal shapes. The support has a central elongated opening which is of a size to receive many of various shaped knife handles in common use. A slit extends along the longitudinal middle of the support inwardly from one edge thereof to adjacent the opposite edge and intersects the adjacent edges of the opening. This allows the opening to be enlarged so that the support may be engaged with the knife handle. The opening is preferably made slightly smaller widthwise thereof than the thickness of the knife handle so that it will resiliently grasp the sides of the said handle.

Referring to the drawing for a more detailed description of the invention, designates a support made of resilient sheet material. The support 10 as shown in 2,789,349 Patented Apr. 23, 1957 the present disclosure is generally rectangular, has a longitudinal generally central opening 11 therethrough, and opposite marginal edges 12 and 13 bent at right angles to the plane thereof. A slit 14 extends inwardly from the edge 12 to adjacent the edge 13. The slit 14 extends along the longitudinal middle of the support and intersects the adjacent edges 15, 16 of the opening 11. Thus, the support may be spread apart so as to insert the same on the handle of a usual table knife 17. The knife 17 is of a conventional type wherein the blade 18 is made separate of the handle 19 which is much heavier than the blade. The blade has a shoulder 20 against which the handle 19 abuts. This shoulder 20 is slightly larger than the adjacent end of the handle and forms a slight ridge against which the edges of the opening 11 may abut. However, the holding of the support 10 on the knife handle is not dependent upon such ridge.

In positioning the support on to the knife, the blade 18 is inserted through the slit 14 and by spreading the support, the same is sprung over the shoulder 14- to resiliently engage the sides of the handle adjacent to the junction of the blade and handle, the opening being made widthwise thereof slightly smaller than the thickness of the handle 19 at this portion thereof. The support 10 may be removed by a reversal of the action above described.

With the support at a position adjacent to the junction of the blade and handle, the handle when the knife is placed on a supporting surface will overbalance the blade to elevate the same from the said surface.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the support 10 provides a much desired aid, particularly when the knife is used by children who are apt to lay the knife with the blade still coated with the spread on a surface such as a table and the like.

I claim:

In combination with a knife having a blade and handle, a support for holding the blade elevated from a surface on which the knife is laid comprising a resilient sheet metal member having a flat body of general polygonal outline and having oppositely disposed right angular extending arms, said body having a central opening therethrough for receiving the handle of said knife, said member having a slit extending through one of said arms inwardly from one edge thereof and through said body to intersect said opening centrally at one edge there of, said slit extending through the opposite side of said body from the opposite edge of said opening to the junction of said body with the other of said arms, whereby said support may be sprung on to said handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,097,357 Paulson May 19, 1914 1,491,623 Pitchur Apr. 22, 1924 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,741 Great Britain Jan. 22, 1914 2,107 Great Britain Jan. 30, 1895 

